


Pent-Up Aggression

by Persephone_Van_Dyke



Series: Not The Way I Love You [7]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Community: kink_bingo, F/M, Infidelity, Slapping, smacking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-15
Updated: 2011-09-15
Packaged: 2017-10-23 18:48:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/253717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persephone_Van_Dyke/pseuds/Persephone_Van_Dyke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'I can take a lot of punishment,' he said, softly. 'You need something to hit. And, hey, even if I get marked, it won't show up by the morning.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pent-Up Aggression

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Smacking/Slapping' in [kink_bingo](http://kink-bingo.dreamwidth.org/)
> 
> Not my characters, not making any money from this

It was some flip comment he made, something about Rhys and how he'd basically attached himself to Torchwood without Jack's permission. And Gwen had heard this sort of thing once too often in the last few days.

The slap across the face came out of the blue.

Mutual shock, disorientation. He rubs his face.

'Oh, Jack, I'm sorry, I didn't - '

'Ow.'

'I'm really sorry - ' she's contrite, concerned. He pushed himself to smile.

'You know, usually, I set a safeword before I let anyone do that to me,' he said, mildly, leaning back on the edge of his desk. She is well over a line and she knows it. Nothing he says will make her guilt-trip worse than she already is, he can see it in her eyes.

'You've got a lot of pent-up aggression going on there,' he observed.

'Oh, well spotted,' she said, sarky and miserable. 'I can't imagine why.'

'There are - less unexpected ways to let off steam, you know,' he said.

'What, go down to the firing range and blast hell out of some cardboard weevils?' she asked. Sometimes that works. Or a very hot shower. Or sex. She grits her teeth. Sex with him just makes her more anxious as soon as the afterglow wears off.

'I was thinking more - fun ways,' he said. He went over to her, touched her face. 'My safeword is "spaghetti",' he said, softly.

And now she has two tracks of mind going at once. _Does he want me to hit him again?_ competed with _Why the hell did he pick that?_

'Spaghetti?' she asked, opting for the less confusing question.

'Easy to remember, and won't get confused with anything I'd say in a scene. Well, except this one time - ' he's about to tell her some silly story, make her laugh, get her back in a good mood. But she doesn't want to be got into a good mood - she's bleakly angry and confused and she is fed up with herself for doing this.

Sleeping with the boss. It should feel sordid and nasty, but the sex is out of this world. With what she deals with every day, she needs some sort of release, some outlet, within Torchwood. With someone who knows what it's like.

Except now, Rhys knows. And Rhys and Jack have met properly. And it's all got even more scary than before.

'Shut up.' Sudden, sharp syllables.

'Yes Ma'am.' His body language has changed, subtly - shoulders back, chin up.

She paused.

'Are you _sure_ \- really sure - this is a good idea?'

'I can take a lot of punishment,' he said, softly. 'You need something to hit. And, hey, even if I get marked, it won't show up by the morning.'

'No, but - do you want me to?' This isn't some sort of convenience thing - however angry she is, she'd never want it to be like that. If that was all he was suggesting, she'd head down to the firing range right now and take it all out on cardboard weevils.

'That's what I've been trying to tell you,' he drew her closer, hands on her shoulders. 'I don't play scenes I don't want to play. I'd really like you to smack me around a little.'

It's tempting. There are many, many things she wants to take out on him...and if that turns him on -

'Well, then.'

She steps forward a fraction, looks up at him. Then lands a palm against his cheek again, half-pulling the blow.

'You are such an arrogant fuck sometimes,' she said. Then backhand, the other side of his face. A perceptible _crack_ of skin on skin. 'You and your smart mouth - '

Again, palm inward.

 _Crack!_ She didn't pull that one. His chin still tilted up, his face is controlled, but his hands are gripping tighter on the edge of his desk.

'There are days when I really hate you, Jack.'

 _Crack!_

That one breaks his composure, makes him gasp, lean forwards.

'No, _look_ at me when I'm yelling at you!'

Her voice is louder, the rage stirring within her is finding an exorcism in her stinging palm. Jack meets her eyes, biting his lip. The fire in her eyes, the anger on her face, are hot. He could break away right now and kiss her, but she's in control, she decides what happens next.

 _Crack!_

'I hate the way you can make me go weak at the knees by just looking at me - '

 _Crack!_

Jack is feeling the weight of authority drain off him, to be replaced by a slightly light-headed rush - endorphins beginning to buzz through his system. Losing control - abandoning responsibility - his only job to stay still and take whatever's coming to him...it's been much too long since he subbed like this.

'I hate that smug look on your face when you're right - '

 _Crack!_

Gwen is enjoying herself, in a way that is new to her. A small sensible part of her she is watching him narrowly for signs of distress, but the rest of her is well away on an adrenaline trip.

'I hate the way you make me feel!'

She stopped, suddenly, realising what she'd just said. Face stinging and red, Jack breathed deep.

'Do you?' he asked.

'God yes! Like I'm out of control and the only thing I can do to feel better is to fuck you, like my relationship's a second-best, like the world's gone crazy all round me and you have all the answers and you're not telling.' She's pacing now, spilling more demons than either of them were expecting. Jack rose to move towards her and she spun, neatly, a windmilling flail that got him on sharply on the cheekbone.

 _Crack_!

'No, stay there!' she stormed, and he leaned back on the desk obediently. She returned, stood over him. He feels like he's going to laugh, the pain is well within his tolerance and it feels so good to be used as a willing victim to Gwen's monumental fury.

'You are an arrogant - '

 _Crack_!

' - amoral - '

 _Crack_!

' - irritating - '

 _Crack_!

' - smug - '

 _Crack_!

' - lying - '

 _Crack_!

' - American - '

 _Crack_!

' - bastard!'

 _Crack_!

Jack reeled back, gasping hard. The blows had come fast, increasing in violence, as she'd worked up to a peak of rage. His ears are singing and his face burns. He's pretty sure his lower lip is split.

Weakly, he began to laugh.

'Oh, yeah, baby,' he muttered.

Standing in front of him, she deflated, suddenly. All the fight left her.

'Are you OK?' she stepped towards him, looking worriedly at the perceptible finger marks on his face.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' he breathed, taking her hand, and guiding it gently down a bit. Through his trousers she can feel that he's hard, and inside her, arousal twitches and knots. 'If I wasn't all right, I wouldda let you know.'

He stood up, a finger to his bleeding lip.

'How about you - are you OK?'

'Oh, god,' she felt suddenly shaky. 'That was - ' and then she's giggling, weakly, she goes limp against him. He pulled her close, letting her ride out the comedown.

'I - the things I said,' she said. 'God I needed to say all that but - you know it's not just that, right?'

'I know,' his voice is comforting, he's back in control.  
Stroking her hair.

'I love you,' she said. Not meaning to let it slip like that. 'I hate you and I love you. Is that weird?'

He shook his head.

'Not compared to all the other weird stuff round here,' he said, wryly.

She reached up to kiss him, her mouth edging softly over his split lip. She can taste blood.

'We're going to have to stop doing this, you know,' she said. She felt very calm, suddenly, very decided.

He tensed momentarily, and then she felt him relax.

'Yeah. I know.'

He'd known from the moment she brought Rhys into the Hub that she was going to end it - the crossover of work and home was going to be too much. He knew this was coming.

'Jack - '

'Uh huh?'

'I do love you, you know,' she said, haltingly. 'Just - not in the way I love Rhys.'

He drew her close, staring at the ceiling - his expression, even if she could have seen it, completely unreadable.

'I know,' he whispered.

She rested her cheek against his upper arm for a long moment, then leaned back and looked at him.

'Come on - ' she said, clumsily, slowly. 'One last time?'

And, reassuringly resilient - _oh thank god, he's going to cope with this, he can't be in love with me after all_ \- he grinned at her.

'Yes, I'd like that,' and leaned to kiss her again.

END  



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